Whole Foods is celebrating their Parmigiano Reggiano cheese again this year and they want to give a lucky reader a $50 gift card to use in their stores! All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post and you will be entered for the giveaway. To celebrate this cheese, I'm posting a recipe that I actually made for Valentine's Day dinner this year - a cheesy saffron risotto with poached shrimp on top. It's out of this world. I made it as a first course for the dinner.

** THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED **

Valentine's Day first course

If you've never made risotto before, give it a try now. There's nothing hard at all about making risotto. It takes about 25 minutes and you don't have to stir constantly, just regularly. The idea is to add hot broth to the rice a litttle at a time, until the rice is just tender but still has a little bite to it. You can use whatever broth you like and flavor the risotto in so many ways. It's really a versatile dish to play around with. In this version, I've used a pinch of saffron, a little dry white wine, some onion and garlic, fresh thyme and, of course, plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

look for the dot pattern on the rind to show that it's real Parmigiano Reggiano

If you have a Whole Foods store, it's worth checking out their Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. This is the real deal, from Italy, and if you've never eaten it, you will be surprised. It's much different than the regular Parmesan cheeses in the grocery store. Real Parmigiano can be spotted by the telltale dot patterns on the rind - if the cheese doesn't have this, it's not real Parmigiano from Italy, made under the strict requirements for that label. You can also save the rinds after you've finished the cheese and use these rinds in risottos and soups for more cheesy flavor.

For the shrimp, you need to peel and devein them to get that pretty butterflied look after they are cooked. I like to peel the shrimp in two easy steps. I first pinch the shell just in front of the tail - this usually separates the back section of shell from the front section. Remove that back section of shell by just pulling right off. Then the front section is easily lifted off. You should be able to peel a shrimp in just these two moves. Then take a sharp little paring knife and cut right down the back of the shrimp to reveal the intestinal tract - it may be visible and it may not. It is usually a dark line running inside that cut - just remove it. Now the shrimp is butterflied and will curl up into a nice shape when it is poached.

pinch and pull the shell (above)

you should be able to peel the shrimp in two simple moves and then use a sharp knife to devein and butterfly them

Never boil shrimp - this will make it tough! The ideal way to cook shrimp is to simply lower it into hot water and let them poach gently for a few minutes. That's all you need for a tender shrimp.

Now, generally cheese is not served in Italy in seafood dishes but this is because you don't want to overwhelm a delicate fish with a strong cheese. So before I get e-mails pointing out this pairing, let me just say that this rule has been taken way overboard by people. So, mi dispiace, but there's nothing wrong in adding cheese to certain seafood dishes. This dish is mainly risotto with the poached shrimp just on top. And it's delicious.

As for which pot to cook a risotto in, I prefer a curved pot with sloping sides, like this 3-quart Saucier Pan from Calphalon. I like the fact that there are no bottom edges in which the risotto can get trapped. When you stir, it's easier with a pan with sloping sides. I have this beautiful Copper pot made by Mauviel for Williams Sonoma that I got years ago - it's not available anymore but if you're really dying to have one, it's available on that e-Bay link. It's my favorite pot for making risotto.

Don't forget to leave your comment to have a chance to win a $50 Whole Foods gift card! Deadline is Tuesday, March 24th at midnight.

In a medium saucepan (a sloped Chef's pan if you have one) gently cook the onion in the olive oil over low heat for about 5 minutes, til onion is a little soft. Add the grated garlic and cook for a minute more. Increase heat to medium and add the rice. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the wine and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring. Add about 1 cup of the broth, the lemon zest and saffron and stir. Cook over medium/low heat so that the rice is just at a low simmer. When the liquid is almost completely absorbed, add about ½ cup of broth more. You know it's time to add more broth when you run a spoon through the risotto and the liquid doesn't pour back in on the bottom of the pan. Keep adding broth a little at a time and stir occasionally until the rice is just tender, about 25 minutes. You may or may not use all the broth. Do not overcook.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Turn off heat and wait a couple of minutes. Add the shrimp and poach in this hot water for about two minutes (depending on the size of shrimp) until shrimp turns pink and is just done. It doesn't take long. Drain.

Add the cheese and about ¾ of the thyme to the risotto and blend. Taste and if it needs a little salt, add it now. Divide risotto among four plates. Top with two poached shrimp each and sprinkle the rest of the fresh thyme on top. You can take a vegetable peeler and peel strips of extra Pargmigiano if you want for garnish.

Helllo!I always look forward to your emails. Always a treat to see what your cooking up and we even get the recipe! There is nothing like a good cheese and Reggiano Parmagiano is just one of our many fovorites!Since its Lent, your Shrimp Risotto will have to be on Friday's menu!Thank you for another "Italian Dish"!Grazie dai Imperia

A long time Italian cook. I too was taught no cheese with fish. This rule has largely been disregarded over the past several years. I make shrimp risotto like this with Parmigiano Reggiano. Especially love those shavings. My granddaughters love Parmigiano. When visiting native friends in Parma they took me to a production plant to see the cheese being made. Amazing to see the large wheels stacked sky high & cheese makers rolling along on tall ladders tapping & rotating the wheels of cheese. I brought a big chunk home.Amelia

A wedge of parm reggiano is a necessity in my fridge. Even if I let the nub dry out, I throw it in the freezer and toss it in soup later. I saw two guys splitting the Parm wheels in the middle of a Whole Foods store the other day; it was very entertaining.

I've never made risotto before but after reading your delicious recipe I can't wait to try it. We cook shrimp all the time and this looks a different way for me to prepare it. By the way, I love your beautiful china and the turquoise plate too. Thanks for sharing and for the chance to win the Whole Foods giveaway.T

I love cooking (and your site) but my fiancé and I are just starting out. Do you have a pot suggestion if a saucier pot is not available? Also, should I add a saucier to our registry. We are trying to build a foundation!

Amelia: The best way to store hard cheeses like Parmigiano is not plastic wrap, but wax paper type bags. These are what I use for my cheeses and they're great: http://astore.amazon.com/theitadis-20/detail/B00BEDW76W

Nathaniel: You can use just a regular medium saucepan for risotto. I just like a pan with sloping sides because it makes it easier to stir the risotto and not have rice getting caught in the bottom edges. I love my saucier pan - I use it all the time even for small batches of soup, marinara sauce, chili, etc. I would definitely register for one!

What a great idea to make this for Valentine's Day!I have never made risotto, nor have I ever tried it! I appreciate the opportunity to win the gift card to Whole Foods! I will have to make my first risotto if I win!Thank you!

Was just talking about a similar dish to this which is Spanish, called Harina con Camarones. It is delicious, main difference is that they add some fresh tomato and onion to the rice and don't use the Parmesan Cheese. They use a short grained rice called Bomba that is very similar to Arborio. Your recipe looks yummy, even have the rice on hand, looking forward to trying it. Would even be better if we won the $50 to buy the Parmesan Cheese!

I love making risotto for my wife on our date nights, from Whole Foods ingredients! Especially lobster risotto! Would love to have the opportunity to make lobster risotto again with a subsidized lobster price tag!